WWE® Superstars to Appear at Ballpark Saturday & Sunday
Mick Foley™ & Bella Twins™ Autograph Signing Saturday.  Chris Jericho® Ceremonial Pitch Sunday.

ST. LOUIS, MO (May 13, 2013) – The St. Louis Cardinals announced that several WWE Superstars will be at Busch Stadium this weekend as the Cardinals play the Milwaukee Brewers.

“We are excited to be able to offer our fans the opportunity to interact with some of the greatest names in WWE,” said Dan Farrell, Sr. Vice-President of Sales & Marketing for the St. Louis Cardinals. “This is a great chance for our fans to meet, get autographs and have some fun with the WWE Superstars prior to WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view Sunday night at Scottrade Center.”

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley™ and WWE Divas the Bella Twins™ (Brie Bella™ & Nikki Bella™) will sign autographs and take fan photos in the Ford Plaza on Saturday prior to the game.  The free event begins at 4:45 and will last up until the start of the game.  In addition, WWE Superstar Chris Jericho® will throw out a ceremonial first pitch on Sunday.  Good tickets remain for both games at cardinals.com/tickets, the Busch Stadium Box Office and by phone at 314.345.9000.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.  Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found atwwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/

ST. LOUIS, January 23, 2013 – The Archdiocese of St. Louis announced details regarding the public visitation for Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial that will take place Thursday, January 24^th from 2 P.M. to 8 P.M. at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis located at 4431 Lindell Boulevard in St. Louis.

The visitation is open to the public and provides fans the opportunity to offer prayers and condolences in memory of Stan Musial.  Visitors are asked to enter the Cathedral Basilica through the main doors on Lindell. The Musial family has requested that no photos be taken inside of Church and that any mementos be left at the Stan Musial Statue at Busch Stadium. Please do not bring mementos to the Cathedral Basilica.

Lindell Boulevard will remain open on Thursday, while the Noon Mass is cancelled and both Rosati-Kain High School and St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral will be closed.  The St. Louis Police Department will assist with 45 degree angled parking on Lindell between Newstead and Taylor.  To accommodate media coverage, the Archdiocese has set aside an area on the East side of the Cathedral Basilica Plaza. In this section only, media will be able to take photos and conduct interviews of visitors entering the Cathedral Basilica.  Media may contact Angie Shelton (314.792.7101) for any further information on covering the public visitation.

Saturday’s funeral is private.  Additional details regarding the funeral will be provided later.

In lieu of flowers, the Musial family has requested that donations be made to Covenant House-Missouri or a charity of the fan’s choice in the name of Stan Musial.   Fans may offer messages of condolence to the family at www.cardinals.com/stan.

I am not sure I have encountered a Major League Hall Of Famer that can work a crowd and a room better than Lou Brock.

Over All Star Weekend, I took the opportunity Sunday morning to attend FanFest at Bartle Hall in Kansas City.  The highlight of the schedule, for me, was question and answer sessions with two Hall Of Famers, Andre Dawson and Lou Brock.  The sessions were each 30 minutes long and open to anyone in attendance that wanted to come in and listen.

Dawson was one of my father’s favorite players and a Hall Of Famer that I can attest to having seen play myself.  ”The Hawk” was frank, answered many questions, and was straight forward and candid with his responses.  It was a legitimate look at baseball north of the border, on astroturf, and throughout baseball.  It was not until after Dawson spoke and Brock took center stage that I realized the stark differences.

Lou came into the room to the obvious chants of “Lou” that resounded like boos from the crowd.  He smiled and waved, took his seat and handled questions from the interviewer and then from the crowd.  One fan preceded his question by telling Brock that his son was named Lou after the great basestealer.  The fan’s young son, who was maybe twelve, was with him and Brock invited his namesake to come stand next to him while he answered the young man’s father’s question.  He talked with the young man like he was answering the question just for him, played him up to the crowd for another loud “Lou” response, and sent a family home with a memory they will never forget.

Lou told stories and gave technical advice on base running.  He explained how he got jumps off of pitchers and how he taught young ball players to square up quickly.

He was asked near the end of his interview to compare current Cardinal catcher Yadier Molina to someone from his era.

“Johnny Bench.  The way that Yadi has learned to hit the ball at this point in his career, Johnny Bench is a completely fair comparison.”

One fan asked about Lou’s first All Star Game, his thoughts and memories from that game.  Lou responded (paraphrased):

I arrived early because I did not want to be seen as “big time”.  The last thing I wanted was to arrive when Willie Mays was arriving, I was young and did not want to show disrespect.  The game started at 3:00 p.m., so I got to the stadium at about 9 a.m. that morning.  I was the only one in the clubhouse except the young man clubhouse attendant they had there.  I decided, being an All Star, that I could be a little “big time” and I beckoned the kid over and asked him if he would go get me a Coca-Cola.  The young man returned with my Coca-Cola and then introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Tom Seaver”.  He made me pay for that Coke for about 14 seasons.

The crowd, of course, was eating out of Brock’s hands by this point and Brock went on to share personal stories of his friend, mentor, roommate and father figure, Buck O’Neil.  The stories showed a personal side to a relationship that started between a scout and player.  They showed an emotion that I was unaware of.  The demonstrated a bond that was stronger than most knew.  It was touching, funny and engaging.

Another fan marveled at Brock’s base stealing ability and remembered a game that he was in attendance for that Lou Brock stole home.  He asked Lou if he could recall how many times he achieved the feat of stealing home in his career.  Lou’s response did not disappoint.

Once.  I stole home exactly one time in my career.  The lineup that we had was full of guys that were paid to drive in runs.  Once I stole a base and put myself into scoring position, they would yell out at me “STAY THERE”.  While it was a joke sometimes, the one hard fast rule I was given was not to steal home so the guys behind me could continue to drive in runs.

Finally, Brock was asked about pitchers he once faced and what he thought of all of them.  The key to the question was the wording which contained “who did you see the ball well against.”  Brock, deliberate in his delivery, dropped a few names and then gave us a great quote:

“I saw the ball out of Koufax’s hand very well.  Never hit it, though.”

Listening to a player of Brock’s caliber talk about life and baseball made 30 minutes seem like mere seconds.  It was the highlight of a very full Sunday for me and an opportunity I suggest no one ever pass up on.  FanFest gave us all the opportunity to make a personal connection with larger than life figures, and it’s an opportunity I will never forget.

Power and speed.  Two basic elements that the best of professional athletes posses.

When it comes to baseball, the epitome of power and speed manifest themselves in the players that achieve milestones when they can hit home runs and steal bases in the same season.  The man that can steal 30 bases and hit 30 home runs gets recognized as an all-around player.  Over time, a select few have pushed that limit to 40-40.  Matt Kemp has boldly proclaimed that he wants to be 50-50.

Through all of that, however, the two i70 teams have missed out.  Niether the Kansas City Royals nor the St. Louis Cardinals have ever had a player hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season.  Oh, some have come close, but they have narrowly missed.

In the early stages of 2012, the Cardinals have a player, a former Royal no less, that is on pace for a 30-30 season.  No one would have predicted a 30-30 season for Carlos Beltran in 2012, but he grabbed the interest of this writer and caused me to dig a little deeper.

There are 38 members of the 30-30 club in Major League Baseball, twelve of which exist in the American League with the balance of 26 in the National League.  Funny enough, if you dig through the numbers, two players achieved the feat on five separate occasions.  The two most prolific of the group?  Father and son, Bobby and Barry Bonds.

To examine the two i70 teams, we have to take a step back and look at players that have finished with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, a feat much more common in baseball though elusive with our favorite clubs.

For as long as the Cardinals have existed, it took quite a while before they found someone that could blend speed and power together.  It was 1967 when future Hall Of Famer Lou Brock would first reach the measurements of balance, clubbing 21 home runs and stealing 52 bases.  Known much more for his speed, it would be the only time his power numbers would be great enough to include him in such a list.

It was the Western Missouri team that would reach our list the next two times as the Cardinals would not find themselves back in this discussion until 1992.  In 1978, however, the Royals Amos Otis would put the boys in blue in the discussion with a 22 home run and 32 stolen base season.

From there we fast forward to the one Royal that many would expect to be on this list, though he will make one appearance.  In 1988, one of the best all around athletes to ever grace the powder blue of the Kansas City Royals, Bo Jackson would hit 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases.  Bo was a fan favorite for many years in Kansas City, and 1988 might have been the reason why for many fans.

The year 1992 would put another Redbird on our 20/20 board, and the most prolific Cardinal to achieve the feat.  Ray Lankford would reach the board, stealing 42 bases and hitting exactly 20 home runs.  Lankford would prove to be impressive at reaching 20/20 and narrowly missing 30/30 throughout his career.  Lankford would reach our chart in 1995 (25HR/24SB), 1996 (21HR/35SB), 1997 (31HR/21SB), and 1998 (31HR/26SB).  His 1998 season, obviously overshadowed by teammate Mark McGwire, would be the closest any Cardinal has ever come to reaching the 30/30 plateau.

The 1995 season would see another first and only for our two teams as Brain Jordan would put together arguably his best campaign as a Cardinal, hitting 22 home runs and stealing 24 bases.  If you are paying close attention as you read this article, you will realize that this impressive season for Jordan matched up with a solid one for Ray Lankford, giving the Cardinals two players in the same season to reach the 20/20 board.  The only time in the history of either club that two players would reach the board for the same team.

It might have been the only time that two players from one team made it, but 1999 would be the first season that a player from each team would achieve the marks we are tracking here today.  Possibly the one name that surprises the most on the Cardinal side of things, Fernando Tatis would hit 34 home runs and steal 21 bases to put himself on this list.  On the other side of the state, the Royals most prolific player would make his first appearance on the list.  Current Cardinal Carlos Beltran would hit 22 home runs and swipe 27 bags in his first of four 20/20 seasons for the Kansas City Royals, making 1999 the only year that a player from Kansas City and a player from St. Louis would make our board.

Beltran would go on to prove that his 1999 season was no fluke, reaching the milestone in 2001 (24HR/34SB), 2002 (29HR/35SB) and 2003 (26HR/41SB).  His 2002 season would be the closest anyone would come while wearing a Royals uniform.  We will revisit Beltran’s numbers in a minute.

The following season in 2004 would see Reggie Sanders, while wearing the Birds On The Bat, join the club hitting 22 home runs and stealing 21 bases.  Sanders is the most recent Cardinal on our list.

Finding the most recent Royal does not require a long journey into the vault.  The player affectionately known as “Frenchy”, Jeff Franceour joins our group just last season.  In 2011, Frenchy barely did well enough to be a part of our discussion, hitting 20 home runs and stealing 22 bases.

In all truth, the Royals had the best opportunity to break the 30/30 barrier with the guy that inspired the discussion in the first place, Carlos Beltran.  You see, Carlos holds a unique distinction in MLB history when talking about the 30/30 club.  He is the only player in the history of the game to have a 30/30 season in a year in which he played in both leagues.  He is one of only two players, Bobby Bonds being the other, to be traded during his 30/30 season.

The 2004 season would see the Royals trade their budding superstar to the Houston Astros in a three team deal that would gain the Royals John Buck and cash from the Astros as well as Mark Teahen and Mike Wood from the Oakland Athletics.  During that season, Beltran would hit 15 home runs and steal 14 bases for the Royals prior to the June 24th trade.  After the trade, Beltran would compile 23 home runs and 28 stolen bases for the Houston Astros.  His combined numbers of 38 home runs and 42 stolen bases not only put him on the 30/30 list, but would put him extremely close to joining the 40/40 list.

This season, Beltran finds himself healthy for the first time in a while and back on top of his game.  On pace to rejoin the 30/30 club and become the first of the i70 players to do so, Beltran will have to continue to remain healthy and play as well as he has in April.

20 Home Run and 20 Stolen Bases, Royals and Cardinals
Player/Year	HR	SB	Player/Year	HR	SB
Lou Brock/1967	21	52	Amos Otis/1978	22	32
Ray Lankford/1992	20	42	Bo Jackson/1988	25	27
Ray Lankford/1995	25	24	Carlos Beltran/1999	22	27
Brian Jordan/1995	22	24	Carlos Beltran/2001	24	31
Ray Lankford/1996	21	35	Carlos Beltran/2002	29	35
Ray Lankford/1997	31	21	Carlos Beltran/2003	26	41
Ray Lankford/1998	31	26	Jeff Francoeur/2011	20	22
Fernando Tatis/1999	34	21
Reggie Sanders/2004	22	21

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.
Follow him on Twitter here.

HALL OF FAMER AND 13-TIME ALL-STAR GEORGE BRETT TO SERVE AS AMBASSADOR FOR 2012 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR SUMMER
Brett to Participate in All-Star FanFest, Taco Bell All-Star Sunday Events and
MLB All-Star Game Charity 5K & Fun Run Presented by Nike

Hall of Famer and 13-time All-Star George Brett will serve as the Ambassador for MLB All-Star Summer. Brett will participate in All-Star events leading up to and during All-Star Week in Kansas City, including MLB All-Star FanFest (July 6-10). Brett has been selected as the manager for the U.S. Team in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game (July 8), which features some of the game’s best young prospects from the U.S. and around the world. Brett previously served as the manager for the U.S. Team in 2005.  Also on Sunday, July 8, he will play in the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game and will be the Official Race Starter for the MLB All-Star Game Charity 5K & Fun Run presented by Nike.

“I’m excited to share the city and stadium I love with today’s All-Stars and baseball fans around the world,” said Brett. “It’s an honor to once again be a part of the Midsummer Classic and baseball’s special celebration.”

ALL-STAR CAREER WITH THE ROYALS

Brett spent his entire 21-year career with the Royals from 1973 to 1993, throughout which he accumulated 3,154 hits, 665 doubles, 317 home runs and 1,596 RBI. Brett stands alongside baseball legends Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Stan Musial, as one of the four players in Major League Baseball history to collect at least 3,000 hits, 300 home runs and a .300 batting average over his career. He is the only player in MLB history to win the batting title in three different decades (1976, 1980 and 1990). Brett, who was voted the 1980 American League Most Valuable Player, represented Kansas City in the All-Star Game in consecutive years from 1976 through 1988. He was also awarded the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award during the Royals World Championship season in 1985.

Even after retirement, Brett has continued his long-time association with the organization and is an active resident of Kansas City. The Royals retired Brett’s No. 5 in 1994 and inducted him into the club’s Hall of Fame. Five years later, he was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame after receiving 98 percent of the votes, the fifth‑highest mark in history. Brett is currently in his 19^th year as the organization’s Vice President of Baseball Operations and serves as a special instructor during Spring Training. He is also an active Minor League instructor helping prospects develop.

MLB ALL-STAR FANFEST

MLB All-Star FanFest will transform the Kansas City Convention Center/Bartle Hall into the largest interactive baseball theme park in the world. MLB All-Star FanFest opens on Friday, July 6, runs through Tuesday, July 10, and provides an unrivaled experience for fans of all ages. Visitors will experience more than 400,000 square feet of baseball fun, with attractions including exhibits from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, batting cages, clinics, free autograph sessions with former Royals, MLB legends and Hall of Famers, memorabilia and much more.

TACO BELL ALL-STAR SUNDAY

Taco Bell All-Star Sunday includes the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, 4 p.m. CT, and the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, approximately 7:30 p.m. CT, followed by a spectacular fireworks show to cap off the evening. Now in its 14^th year, the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game showcases many of the top Minor League prospects and has featured Kansas City’s Billy Butler (2006), Alex Gordon (2006), Eric Hosmer (2010) and Mike Moustakas (2010). Players who have competed in both the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and the MLB All-Star Game include Prince Fielder, Zack Greinke, Josh Hamilton, Felix Hernandez, Troy Tulowitzki and Justin Verlander.

The Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game will feature stars from film, music, television and entertainment teaming up with Hall of Famers and former Kansas City stars immediately following the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. Past celebrity participants have included Jon Hamm, Jimmy Kimmel, George Lopez, Chris Rock, Jordin Sparks and Kate Upton. The game has also featured a collection of Hall of Famers including Ernie Banks, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Ozzie Smith and Dave Winfield.

MLB ALL-STAR GAME CHARITY 5K & FUN RUN PRESENTED BY NIKE

Hall of Famer George Brett will serve as the Official Race Starter at the 2012 MLB All-Star Game Charity 5K & Fun Run presented by Nike. The charitable event, open to all ages, will take place on Sunday, July 8, on an All-Star-themed course in downtown Kansas City and will feature appearances by MLB Legends, mascots and celebrity guests. Major League Baseball will donate 100% of all net proceeds from the event to three charities supporting cancer research and awareness – Prostate Cancer Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer and the Greater Kansas City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

The 5K, an officially timed event, will begin at 7:30 a.m. CT. Immediately following, at 8:00 a.m. CT, the family-friendly 1-mile Fun Run will begin; the wheel chair division will begin 5 minutes prior to each. All registered finishers will receive an official commemorative All-Star medal and t-shirt. All fans who sign up now via AllStarGame.com/5k can take advantage of the special early bird price of $25 (adult) and $20 (children 12 and under) for the 5K and $20 (adult) and $15 (children 12 and under) for the Fun Run. For more information, and to register as an individual or team, please visit AllStarGame.com/5k.

Tickets for MLB All-Star FanFest and to Taco Bell All-Star Sunday are currently on sale. To purchase, visit the official All-Star Game website of Major League Baseball (AllStarGame.com), the Royals official website (royals.com/2012), the Royals Box Office at Kauffman Stadium or call 1-888-FanFest (326-3378).

     For more MLB All-Star Week information, please visit AllStarGame.com and the All-Star Game Twitter account (@AllStarGame).

Southwest Missouri may be St. Louis Cardinals country, but in a Ziggie’s Cafe at the corner of Glenstone and Sunshine in Springfield, Missouri, a dedicated group of around 250 Royals fans showed up to meet and greet current Royals players Aaron Crow, Everett Teaford and Louis Coleman. Joining them were Royals Hall of Famer Willie Wilson, Fox Sports Kansas City broadcaster Joel Goldberg and Royals mascot Sluggerrr.

The Springfield stop was supposed to start at 6:30pm, but with good fan turnouts in Clinton and Joplin, the Caravan arrived around 6:50pm. In a few minutes everything was set up and the players took their seats. Toby Cook, Vice President of Community Affairs and Publicity for the Royals, said a few words about the history of the Royals Caravan, thanking and welcoming the fans who filled Ziggie’s Cafe.

Then Joel Goldberg addressed the crowd, saying he was “All excited for 2012.” Goldberg said many people approach him, saying the 71 win 2011 team was like the recent Royals teams. But he disagrees, asking them, “Were you watching?” He continued, “This team was in every single game for the first time in a lot of years and fans were excited to see the future.” He talked about the Royals debuting 12 new players in 2011 and the Royals chances in 2012. “The media folks and the baseball experts have been talking about the Royals being a real player this year.” After Goldberg introduced the players, fans lined up to talk and get autographs from the players while Sluggerrr hammed it up with the fans.

A couple of the fans in line were John and his young son Sam from Willard, MO. Like most young boys, Sam was a little shy when I tried to talk to him, but he was enjoying the experience. Sam’s father John has been a Royals fan “for a while,” although it was “off and on” during the Royals lean years, when he watched many games where the Royals found a way to lose.

But this year, John has more optimism. “When it starts, I’m optimistic every year. It’s a great time of year, it’s a clean slate. They’ve [the Royals] done a good job with players in the pipeline and if they produce like they did in the minors, there’s lots of reasons to be optimistic.” John continued, “Once they get the team going, they [the Royals] have good fans. They’re going to get more fans when they start winning. There’s brighter days ahead.” He quickly added, “Hopefully.”

Joe Robles, a “true” Royals fan from Springfield, MO, has been a fan since 1969. He attended the 1973 All-Star Game and hopes to attend the 2012 All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium.

While most fans at the event brought baseballs, baseball bats and hats to sign, Robles brought a Royals toaster autographed by Billy Butler, Mike Montgomery and Kila Ka’aihue. Yes, a toaster that imprints the Royals logo in the toast. He bought the toaster online and he says “I only use it when the Royals win. It’s been in practice, getting geared up. We’re ready for the good times now.” The toaster was a hit with Goldberg and the players, who added their names to the toaster that could toast a lot of bread this season.

Andrew and Amy Christensen, a couple from Houston, MO, traveled 90 miles for the opportunity to meet and greet the Royals caravan and get their baseball autographed. Their favorite players of the group were Willie Wilson and Aaron Crow, with Amy saying with a laugh, “I have high hopes for Crow.”

Andrew and Amy have been Royals fans for around eight years, despite the Houston area being a part of Cardinal Nation. They went to Kauffman Stadium and loved the experience at the ballpark. Amy liked the more affordable prices and kid friendly activities at Kauffman Stadium compared to the prices and kid friendly activities at Busch Stadium. “There’s a whole lot more to do at the K,” added Andrew.

As for expectations for the Royals in 2012, Andrew hopes for “.500 or better. That would be a change.”

The Royals Caravan would not be possible without the work of Royals Public Relations members Amanda Putnam and Toby Cook. Amanda, who works with Royals Charities, was pleased with the turnout at the Clinton and Joplin stops, but she was “very happy” with the turnout of fans in Springfield. “It was nice for the guys to pull up and see everyone lined up outside. That’s awesome to see.”

Cook agreed, seeing the optimism of the fans attending the Caravan. “We’ve had great stops the whole time. This might be one of our best caravan seasons in a long time.”

With the Royals on-field performance in recent years, Cook mentioned the challenges of doing public relations for the Royals. “When times are good, you kind of sit back and enjoy it. You let it come to you. When times are not so good, you gotta go out and make it happen.” But Cook says there’s optimism in 2012. “Once we start winning, and I think it will happen sooner rather than later, we’re [going to] enjoy some of the good will. There’s nothing like winning.”

Cook also talked about Kauffman Stadium hosting the upcoming 2012 All-Star Game and what it could mean for the Royals to be contenders in the Al Central. “Major League baseball has told us you’ll be surprised at the good luck having the All-Star Game will bring a team.”

But it will take more than luck for the Royals to improve in 2012. Players like Royals reliever Louis Coleman know of the challenges ahead. When asked about what the team needs to do to succeed in 2012, Coleman said, “Last year, we played well and competed, but just fell short by one or two runs a lot and [we need] to figure out how to win late in the games. That could win us 15-20 more games and we could have an entirely different season.” Coleman sees the Detroit Tigers as the team to beat in the AL Central.

Coleman enjoyed his Royals Caravan experience and having the chance to meet and greet the fans. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s been a lot of fun visiting the Royals community outside Kansas City, trying to promote the Royals and to get everyone excited about the upcoming season as much as we are.”

The fans attending the Springfield stop of the Royals Caravan shared that excitement, talking to the current players about the future and talking to Willie Wilson about the glory days of the 70′s and 80′s. Are the Kansas City Royals and their fans optimistic this year? The Royals new slogan for 2012 is “Our Time.” For the Royals and their fans, 2012 could be when the glory days return.

The Kansas City Royals Awards Luncheon seemed to carry a theme this year with Hall Of Famer George Brett and young first baseman Eric Hosmer. The feeling in the room was unmistakable, the future has arrived in Kansas City.

You can hear it in George Brett’s voice. The proud Royal is ready for that next generation of successful Royals to take over the spotlight. Not that he does not enjoy the spotlight, quite the opposite. The Hall Of Famer is one of the most charismatic and comfortable former players in the lime light. Ask anyone and they will tell you, however, that he is true blue to the Royals. Just like any fan of the team, he’s ready for them to win.

During the awards ceremony, when asked about the young team, Brett was quick to state “It’s no secret that it has been a tough ten or fifteen years for this city”.

Prior to the awards luncheon, the winners and presenters joined the media for a quick question and answer session. Eric Hosmer, entering first, was moved to the center of the room and put on display like a show pony. As the media closed in, questions flew, and cameras rolled the young man took it in, answered every question, and showed confidence in himself and his teammates. Reporters had to remind themselves that they were face-to-face with a twenty-two year old ballplayer. The confidence and way with which Hosmer carried himself suggested a veteran player that was easily considered the face of the franchise.

When your franchise is the youngest in Major League Baseball, it should not surprise people that the face of that franchise is as young as Hosmer is. A young man who is comfortable letting his bat and glove speak for themselves has arrived in Kansas City and the weight of the team and the city are squarely on his shoulders.

When asked about his role when players that he has spent most of his career with are called up to the majors he confirmed his presence by saying “I think when guys first arrive, I’m the guy they come to with questions and finding out how the locker room works and things.” At the same time, Hosmer is quick to point out that his teammates “have been together for a long time and everyone knows their roles and how to conduct themselves.”

Throughout the day talking with the young players, there was a general feeling that this team was ready to compete, ready to win, and the expectations had changed. Conversations with manager Ned Yost and General Manager Dayton Moore revealed the same from their viewpoint, as they mentioned a need for this year’s team to transition from “learning” to “winning”. Manager Yost confirmed that his approach would be more focused on winning in every situation and less on sacrificing the win to help a young player mature.

The excitement in Kansas City is growing and is very apparent when you talk to the fans. Brett confirmed that saying that many fans are talking to him more and more about the current product on the field and cites solid attendance numbers towards the end of the 2011 season. The buzz of excitement for baseball is thick in the air of Kansas City.

This team is in a good position to take advantage of that. The Royals are ready for the first player to be the face of a winning franchise in Kansas City since Hall Of Famer George Brett retired.

Eric Hosmer is ready to be that player.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

2013 is Bud Norris’ first year of being eligible for arbitration. I sincerely hope you’re grinning to yourself right now, after that sentence. C’mon, though, don’t act like that thought hadn’t crossed your mind too, after yesterday’s announcement. In 2013 the Houston Astros will defect from the National League Central division, and join the American League West. This could be particularly good new for the Cardinals and their fans when it comes to Bud (“Chuck”) Norris.

“Go West, young man. No, seriously, get out of our division.”

To be experienced, or not to be experienced, that was one of the many questions facing the St. Louis Cardinals’ upper-management over the past couple of weeks as they whittled down their list of candidates looking to fill the huge managerial vacancy left by future Hall of Famer, Tony La Russa. Frankly, there would have been some unrest within the Cardinals’ fan base no matter who the team went with, but I find the “Mike Matheny is inexperienced” argument completely irrelevant. He’s inexperienced? At what? Sure he hasn’t managed a single professional baseball game in his life, but that’s not a prerequisite for “experience” in my book. First, let’s take a hard look at what a major league manager truly does and then see if Matheny is qualified or not.

Major League Managing 101 -

1) Leadership – This is hands down the most important quality a Major League manager must have. He’s leading a group of men for seven months through Spring Training and then a 162 game regular season. Guys can lose focus and get burnt out pretty easily under those conditions. The manager needs to be a guy who’s been through the same thing and knows how to keep that focus throughout the long summer months.

2) Knowledge of the Game – We’re not just talking about hitting the ball and running counterclockwise around the bases, here… we’re talkin’ what pitch to throw to the cleanup hitter when you’re behind in the count and the bases are loaded. We’re talkin’ knowing when to pull your pitcher… and who can come in and get the next series of critical outs. We’re talking tie game, bottom of the 9^th, runners at 2^nd and 3^rd with one out… do you load the bases to set up an inning ending double play or bring the infield in and trust your pitcher to get the out?

3) Knowledge of the Team’s Talent – Does the manager know his guys’ strengths and weaknesses, and can he utilize them accordingly.

Ok, so those are some of the basics. Now ask yourself the question: Is Mike Matheny “experienced” in any of those areas? Well, let’s take a look:

1) Leadership – Matheny was a manager on the field during his major league career, which spanned over 13 seasons with 4 different teams, including 5 years with the Cardinals. During those years, he gained trust and respect from his pitching staff (including Chris Carpenter), his other teammates (including Albert Pujols), and his coaches (including Dave Duncan). And he certainly knows what it’s like to go through the 162-game grind, doing it himself for more than a decade.

2) Knowledge of the Game – Mike Matheny won four gold gloves as a catcher. Translation: in addition to calling every single pitch selection of the game, he was also focused and talented enough to make all the physical plays necessary to be considered the best in the game at his position. He had an understanding of what opposing hitters strengths and weaknesses were, and helped his pitchers get them out.

3) Knowledge of the Team’s Talent – We already mentioned Mike Matheny has played with Pujols and caught for Chris Carpenter. He has also had a role in coaching and developing talent in the Cardinals’ minor league system, so he’s familiar with guys like Fernando Salas, Eduardo Sanchez, Daniel Descalso, Tony Cruz, Allen Craig, Jon Jay, and others. In addition to that, he’s also served time as an analyst for Fox Sports Midwest, dissecting the players and games through a critical eye.

Obviously, there’s a lot more to managing a Major League Baseball team than what we’ve discussed thus far, but of the three areas we’ve hit on, Matheny does have the upper hand on all the other candidates with the exception of Jose Oquendo. I can only assume that “intangibles” put Matheny ahead of Jose in the club’s decision. How would the soft-spoken Oquendo handle the umpires? That’s something Matheny, as a catcher, was able to master over his 13 year career… lobbying his way over balls and strikes probably every single game he caught. How would Oquendo handle the media? That’s something Matheny had a big more experience at as well, playing in the media-crazed 21^st century version of MLB and working himself as an on-air analyst.

All things considered, I think Mike Matheny is the right choice for the job as Cardinals manager. Is he “deserving” of the role, who’s really to say? He played minor league ball, worked his way up to the majors, and helped out with the minor league system over the past couple years. Clearly he hasn’t paid as many dues as Jose Oquendo has, but why should that matter? This is professional baseball… the best of the best work and play here. Ryan Franklin paid the most dues and had the most “experience” of any of the guys in the bullpen to start the 2011 season… and all of you, I repeat, ALL of you, were calling for him to be removed from the closer role by the 3^rd week of the season. The Cardinals eventually obliged.

Sometimes, you have to go with your gut. General Manager John Mozeliak’s gut told him: respected by the players and coaches, knows the game, knows the players, knows how to work with the pitchers, knows how to prepare for and call a game. The gut feeling might work out for Mozeliak and the Cardinals, it might not… but out of the finalists for this particular job, the Cardinals chose the right guy.

Anyone who knows me knows I am very vocal with my opinions. It makes no difference if I am right or wrong, my opinion is my opinion and I am going to share it with the world. Well sometimes when you are wrong you have to apologize for your mistakes. The Royals are only six games in to the season but there are people who are making me wrong. So let’s get to the apologies.

Alex Gordon courtesy of Minda Haas

I’m sorry Alex Gordon. I am sorry I doubted you could “dominate.” I am sorry I doubted you were anything more than a AAA player or even a AAAA hall of famer. I am sorry that I discounted your preseason stats and said they won’t carry over to the regular season. Gordon is now batting over .370. He is the first Royalman Player of the Week on pinetarpress.com and is absolutely dominating so far this year. He’s playing well in the field and has really earned his spot on the team. Many others are probably apologizing privately for thinking he’d be out by June and Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson or Mitch Maier would have his spot. If (and that is a naughty word around these parts) Gordon can continue to do what he’s doing so far, he’d belt 20 plus home runs, bat over .325 and slug over .600. Now what I won’t apologize for and what I am watching very closely is Gordon is still too much of a free swinger. He’s have a 7/2 K to walk rate right now and he was at a 1/1 for a good part of spring training. His eye is better this year but he still needs to strike out less because this team needs to move runners. So, to you Alex Gordon, I am sorry, for now.

I’m sorry to you Ned Yost. I doubted you could be a real manager. I placed much emphasis on the fact that you were choking so bad in Milwaukee they fired you while you were still the wild card leader. I’m sorry I wanted Clint Hurdle more than you because he took a no name Colorado team to the World Series. Ned Yost had this team firing during the “honeymoon period” after his hiring last year then they seemed to go back to the same ole’ Royals but this year they seem a little different. This team is playing much more as a team. They seem fired up and playing good baseball. The teams the Royals have defeated so far were picked to be 1st or 2nd in their division by many. The early records of the teams played are 6-5 but if you take out the games against the Royals those two teams are 4-1. The teams the royals played are not bad, they are winning against other opponents but neither could take a series from KC and much of the credit for that has to be given to Ned Yost. The team is stealing bases and playing light. They are showing heart and never giving up when they get behind. All of those qualities have to be in some way related to Yost’s leadership. For all these reasons, Ned Yost, I am sorry, for now.

Kila Kaaihue courtesy of Minda Haas

There is one person I am not sorry to, at least not yet. I would love for him to make me wrong and have to pay up on a bet of Jamison to a twitter buddy but Kila Ka’aihue I am not sorry for being hard on you. I don’t believe you can have an OPS of .815 or better. I don’t think you can hit .275/.375/.475 with 30 plus jacks like some seem to think. Heck I am doubting you can hit .225/.325/.425 with 20 jacks. I think Eric Hosmer time is going to come very soon and you will just be another Royals prospect who didn’t quite make it. I hope I am wrong. I want so bad to have to apologize for this but I am a realist and don’t see it happening.

I am sorry to the Kansas City Royals for only picking you to win 70. When I first made that prediction Greinke had just been traded and many were picking us to lose 100. I never wavered from my stance in either direction. I picked up a bet from my buddy Husker that if the Royals when more than 63, he owes me a case of beer. Meanwhile many were picking the Royals to win 75 or even go .500 after spring training. I wish I would have jumped on that wagon because after this solid start 70 wins looks very pessimistic. Now granted its early and the Royals may absolutely fall to part but right now they are 4-2 winning more than 66% of their games so to think they will only win 40% the rest of the way is very pessimistic and I don’t believe they will be that bad. 75 wins is very plausible and .500 is possible. I believe and for that reason I am sorry Kansas City Royals, for now.

Troy can be found on Twitter as KCRoyalman. He also can be heard Sundays from 7-8p at royalmanreport.com and here on i70baseball.com with Bill Ivie, Mondays 10p-11p